Method of selvage and seam manufacture and products thereof



June 24, 1958 'r. M. SCRUGGS METHOD OF SELVAGE AND SEAM MANUFACTURE ANDPRODUCTS THEREOF Filed May 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 24, 1958SCRUGGS 2,840,117

'T.M. METHOD OF SELVAGE AND SEAM MANUFACTURE AND PRODUCTS THEREOF FiledMay 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGB.

United States Patent METHOD OF SELVAGE AND SEAM MANUFAC- TURE ANDPRODUCTS THEREOF Application May 21, 1954, Serial No. 431,513

6 Claims. (Cl. 139-383) This invention relates to a method of selvageand seam manufacture and to the resulting selvage and seam for use onwoven material, bags and the like.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision ofan improved method of selvage and seam manufacture for woven webmaterial which, after weaving, is split, folded and seamed to form bags;the provision of a selvage of the class described which lends itself tothe production of preferred overstitch seams in bags which are neater inappearance and less bulky than those heretoforeemploy'ed'; and theprovision of a selvage and seam of the class described which may beproduced without costly changes in weaving, selvaging and seamingprocedures. Other objectsand features will be in part apparent and inpart pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, steps and sequence of steps, features of construction and.manipulation, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in thestructures and methods hereinafter described, and the scope of whichwill be indicated in the following claims.

others if found desirable), the width of the woven web is made twicethat of the bag heights and the web is centrally separated or splitalong line CC, for example (but without limitation), at the time thatany desired printing operations are performed upon the fabric. Each ofthe two separated portions of the web is then trans: versely severed orsegmented along lines such as shown at DDand EE in Fig. 3. The result isa bag blank as illustrated in Fig. 3, which later is folded along a linesuch as indicated at F-F, to produce (after side and bottom seaming) abag such as indicated in Fig. 4. The side and bottom seams are shown at19 and 21, respectively. In the case of open-mesh material, conventionalfiat seams at 19 and 21 are not as neat nor are they as satisfactory asthe conventional overstitched type of seam illustrated. An overstitchedseam is made by rolling over the adjacent margins and overstitching, theresult being a strong and neat rolled edge. 7

It will be apparent that, when the separating cut is made at CC, theadjacent edge of the split portions of the web require selvaging, inorder to prevent any adjacent warp strands 2 from slipping laterallyfrom the filling strands 6. It may be observed that this problem is notso acute at the segmenting lines DD and EE (Fig. 3), because the fillingstrands 6 are not as prone to slip laterally from the crossed warpstrand 2. Moreover,

fewer operations intervene between the time of the severing stepsperformed at DD, EE, and the completion of the bag, than occur after thesplitting step along line CC. Thus dislocations are most prone to occurat the separation CC, rather than at DD or EE.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possibleembodiments of the invention is illustrated, Fig. 1' is a diagrammaticplan view of a web of openmesh woven material as it proceeds from aweaving process;

Fig. Zis a detail view of certain portions of Fig. l

' indicated within the dotted area 0 which is superimposed upon Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa plan view of a split and'severed blankproduced from thematerial shown inFig. 1;

Fig. 4 is aplan view of a finished bag, as produced from the blank shownin Fig.. 3; and, i

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the appearance ,of thetype of selvage suchas would appear in the area 0' of Fig. 1 if it weremade according to former practices.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several. views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. I, there is shown a fragment ofa woven open-mesh web 1 as it proceeds from a room, for example fromleft to right. This consists of a longitudinal relatively high-strengthwarp 3 and a cross-woven transverse relatively highstrength ,filling 5..These are woven-with marginal selvages at 7, 9, 11 and 13. In the caseof a so-called leno weave, the filling 5 consists of single strands 6,and the warp Sconsists of double leno-woven strands 2, crossing over oneanother and on opposite sides enveloping and spacing the filling'strands6. While any suitable type of yarn may be used for the strands 2 and 6,in the fabric under consideration they; are composed of spun or twistedpaper yarn of sufficient strength for use of the material in bagconstructions. Included also in the weave are draw tapes 15 and 17,which are put in as ususal by the loom.

For the smaller consumer-size open-mesh bags (and Fig. 5diagrammatically shows how selvaging was formerly accomplished adjacentthe separating line C C. Two warps 3, each consisting of two leno-wovenstrands, were closelybunched and a substantial amount of quick dryingnitrocellulose lacquer 23 was applied bymeans of an applicator wheel andallowed to dry. This adhered the crossing strands 2 and 6. Thus, aftersplitting on line CC, there existed considerable bulk in the selvage, i.e'., each selvage consisted of four fairly thick strands of paper yarnand a band of a'considerable amount of dried nitrocellulose lacquer.Thus when the bag blank such as shown in Fig. 3 was folded over asillustrated in Fig. 4, the overstitched bottom seam 21 contained eightyarn strands and two elongate flat bands of lacquer. This considerablybulked the seam. To reduce such bulking is one purpose of myimprovements The improvement is accomplished, as illustrated in Fig. 2,by eliminating from the loom which makes the web shown in Fig. 1 one ofthe marginal sets of warp strands 2 of Fig. 5. Then. a warp strand 25 ispaired in the loom with each of the remaining marginal warp strands 2,four of the latter remaining. Each warp strand 25 is com-' preferablysubstantially smaller in diameter than its mated warp strands 2. Thestrands 25 are not required to be of high tensile strength since theyare not intended to add to the main strength of the fabric. Weaving thenproceeds as usual, thereby placing alongside of each warp strand "2 acoextensively woven thin cellulose acetate warpstrand '25, as indicatedby the interlacing shown in Fig. 2. Before splitting on line CC, asolvent isapplied to the combined warp strands 2 and 25, fcrexample, bymeans of suitably placed applicator rollers. A suitable solvent isacetone, which is volatile. This partially dissolves or melts thestrands 25 without completely doing so; The amount of strand dissolutionis limitedbyftheamountbf acetone applied. In View of the sufficiently smai lamonfit and volatility of the acetone, it disappears before strands25 iosethir'st'rand like characteristics. In order'to conk e'toriesbrother active of latent solvents to delay volatilizatio'n, whichincreases the dissolving period. When volatilization of the solvent iscompleted, no further dissolvingaetionoccurs- Thus for less dissolvingaction,

two warp elements on opposite sides of a warpwise line strong warpstrands 2, with two of the weaker solventadhered relatively thincellulose acetate strands 25. It .willbe noted that before applicationof the solvent to the cellulose acetate strands 25, they are notadherent, so that thelconventional weaving processis notinterfered with.

Moreover, after wetting by the solvent, with partial dissolution,adherence, and drying upon volatilization, the remaining strand portions25 are again dry in the finished selvage.

It will be seen, in ,view of the'above, that finally there results aselvage adjacent line 'C-C (Fig. 3) which is lightand strong. The blank(Fig. 3) without raveling can then be converted to the bag (Fig. 4) bymeans of the overstitched seaming 19, 21. The resulting overstitchedseam of the bag contains only four (instead of eight as formerly) of theusual warp strands 2, the remaining, four partially dissolved adherentcellulose acetate strands 25 being small in bulk.

" It will also be seen that the cellulose acetate strands 25 areexamplesof any relatively thin strands 25 are examples of any relativelythin strands (interlaced or woven with the usual warp strands 2) of anysubstances which will behave as a subsequently hardening solute whencontacted by a suitable volatile solvent, the volatility of the solventlimiting the dissolving action. The hardened solute forms a sufficientlystrong adherence to prevent raveling under normal manipulations incompleting bag manufacture. It will also be apparent that the substanceof thewarpsl} and filling 5 may be any material appropriate to thedesired fabric such asthe spun paper alreadyreferred to, cotton, wool,etcetera. Moreover, the sizeof the mesh of the fabric may be anythingappropriate tothe use to which the fabric is put. However,the'invention, as is apparent, is particularly advantageous in the caseof open-mesh fabric.

While the above description relates to a presently preferred form of theinvention, it will be understood that various other strand materials maybe employed with appropriate solvents, Also, the strands to be adheredmay be composed of a thermoplastic material which may be caused toadhere by heating instead of application of a solvent. It will also beapparent that the strand to be adhered, whether solvent orthermoplastic, may be plied with the" paper yarn on the twisterthatforms the yarn in the case of the adhered marginal warp strands. It willalso be understood that the acetate thermoplastic or other adherentstrands can be paired with warp strands of weaves other than those ofthe particular form shown in the drawings.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantagecus results attained.

- As various changes could be made in the above constructionsand methodswithout departing from the scope in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin 'a sense;

I claim:

on which the'web is to be cut includes two principal warp strands and atleast one auxiliary strand of a material adapted for adhesion to thewarp and filler strands of the web, said auxiliary strand being of asmaller diameter than said principal warp strands and being woven intothe web coincident with one of said two principal warp strands so thatit follows the same pattern as said one principal warp strand throughoutthe length of the web and lies contiguous to said one principal warpstrand throughout the length of the strands.

2. A leno-woven open-mesh web in which each of the two warp elements onopposite sides of a warpwise line on which the web is to be cut includestwo principal warp strands and two auxiliary strands of a materialadapted for adhesion to the warp and filler strands of the web, eachauxiliary strand being of a smaller diameter than said principal warpstrands, one auxiliary strand being woven into the web coincident withone of said two principal warp strands so that it follows the samepattern as said one principal warp strand throughout the length of theweb and lies contiguous to said one principal warp strand throughout thelength of the strands, and the other auxiliary strand being woven intothe web coincident with the other of the two principal warp strands sothat it follows the same pattern as said other principal warp strandthroughout the length of the Web and lies contiguous to said otherprincipal warp strand throughout the length of the strands.

3. A leno-woven open-mesh web as set forth in claim 2 wherein saidauxiliary strands are composed at least in part of a substance adaptedto form a solute upon application of a volatile solvent, said solutebeing adapted to dry after volatilization of the solvent.

4. A lerio-woven open-mesh web as set forth in claim 2 wherein theauxiliary strands are composed of cellulose acetate. I

5. The methodof making an open-mesh web for use in making bags,comprising weaving an open-mesh web comprising warp and filler elements,the warp elements at least in a central portion of the web being lenowoven and each including two principal warp strands, incorporatingduring the weaving in each of the two leno-warp elements on oppositesides of the center line ofv the web atleast one auxiliary strand of amaterial adapted for adhesion to the warp and filler strands of the web,said auxiliary strand being of a smaller diameter than said principalwarp strands and being woven into the web .of the invention, it isintended that all matter contained I 1. A leno-woven open-mesh web inwhich each of coincident with one of said two principal warp strands sothat it follows the same pattern as said one principal warp strandthroughout the length of the web and lies contiguous to said oneprincipal warp strand throughout the length of the strands, andsubsequently slitting the web on its center line between the two warpelements which include the auxiliary strands.

6. An open-mesh web in which each of the two warp elements on oppositesides of a warpwise line on which the web is to be cut includes aprincipalwarp strand and an auxiliary strand of a material adapted foradhesion to the warp and filler strands of the web, said auxiliarystrand being woven'into the web coincident with said principal warpstrand so that it follows the same pat- References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,709,887 Sponholz Apr. 23, 19292,360,245 McFarlane Oct. 10, 1944 2,461,240

I Scruggs Feb. 8, 1949

